We have mentionned this, redirected aggression, a couple of times here. I may have brought it on myself.

Background story - A lovely cat has been coming to my house and fighting outside with the feral Tom and one of our cats and the cat next door. Turns out he belongs across the highway to idiot owners who let him roam, intact and not microchipped. Despite our telling them we love the cat but not his screaming and fighting at 3:00 am he's been back three times since we first found his owners.

Last time was Thursday and since he was in our house with us for two days the first time, before we found out who owned him, I went out to pick him up and bring him in again. He had been in a wicked fight with the feral Tom, there was hair and blood in the snow, his, Charlie as I called him. I did not go to get Charlie till an hour after the fight. At first he came to me, I picked him up, he purred and snuggled. But up on my deck he bit me quite badly on my right hand. I can't be sure if this was redirected aggression OR he didn't want to go back in the house OR he'd been under the deck with the feral Tom and thought he was still there and I was going to throw him to the Tom, or what.

We decided I should go the walk-in clinic. Cat bites are serious because, while cat teeth are relatively clean, cleaner than human teeth, they are sharp and small and any bacteria that is on them can be deposited deep into tissue that then closes over and prevents it's escape. Those bacteria can fester inside and a hand wound can become badly inflammed. Thank you Nurse Sister of mine who gave me lots of gory details from her work in a clinic and seeing those cat bite infested hands.

So I got a tetanus shot (probably due anyway) and am on antibiotics for 10 days. I am finding the Pharmacist was right, they do cause diarrhoea.

Meanwhile the owner did come the next day, for the fourth time, to fetch up her cat and take Charlie home. He is vaccinated for Rabies but nevertheless he must be quarantined for 10 days. This will be at his owner's house, something I have serious doubts about, since they have been pretty darn lax about keeping him there before. The owners were required to sign a form asserting they would observe the 10 day quarantine, specifically not euthanize the cat and would have him available at short notice for observation by a local Health Office person. If Charlie does not complete quarantine I will be forced to take Rabies shots.

My right hand has multiple scratches and bite wounds but the one the blood poured out of (Charlie punctured a blood vessel) is the smallest, just a tiny wee circular scab there now. My usually scrawny, boney hand is quite plump with swelling right now. And it's starting to turn blue with the large haematoma.

Folks, if your cat is fighting or even just howling at another cat outside the window BE CAREFUL of picking him/her up. I should have been more careful with a cat I do not own so close in time after a fight. But he is, otherwise, a lovely, friendly, playful beautiful cat. I hope his eejit owners do not do harm to him after this is over. I would keep him myself if we were not full up.

Have you had your hand checked again since the swelling and color change started? Sounds bad. I'm sure your sister told you what symptoms to watch for that would mean you should get it checked again... Sisters are so 'good' that way! (Actually, I suspect my sisters would say I'm the one who always has horror stories to share! )

I hope your neighbors manage to keep him safely quarantined. And that Charlie suffers no further harm. You don't think they'd euthanize him after, do you?

Heal quickly!

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